Dosing mechanism



y 4 1... PIERCE nosme MECHANISM Original Fild March 18, 1958 mm Zia W inmeasured quantities to. the machine.

Patented July 2, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 2,206,331 DOSINGVMEOHANISM LucienPierce, Maiden, Mass.

Originalapplication March 18, 1938, Serial No. 196,689. Divided and thisapplication August 1 30, 1939, Serial No. 292,669

4 Glaims.

1 Thisinvention relates to dosing mechanism for use with comminutedmaterial. While it maybe used for measuring out predetermined quantitiesof any dry, finely divided matter, it is more par- 'ticularly intendedfor automatically supplying measuredquantities of comminuted soap to. awas-hing machine such as is described in my copending application SerialNo. 196,639, filed March 18, 1938, of which this application is adivision. i i

In the ordinary washing cycle, a number of.

laundering materials are employed with the charges of water, some ofthese being customarily in liquid form, such as bluing, bleach and sour.Next to water itself, soap in one form or another is the most importantsubstance used in washing fabrics. Soap may be supplied in liquid formby the use of either alcohol or heat, but liquid soap is expensive andopen to various practical objections. According to the presentinvention,

mechanism is provided for automatically and reliably supplyingcomminuted dry soap, that is, soap in the form of powder, granules orflakes.

It isan object of this invention to provide a mechanism which will besimpleand rugged in structure and reliable in action.

An embodiment of theinvention is hereinafter described, and isillustrated in the drawing of which Figure lis a fragmentary plan viewof mechanism embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2- -2 of Figure 1. i

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the mechanism shown in Figural,together with operating mechanism, on;a larger scale.

- Figure 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig- .ure 3, showingcertainparts in different positions of operation. T

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of theapparatus.

. In the application hereinbefore referred to, a

washing machine is described having a trough 300 in which launderingmaterials are supplied The trough is preferably equipped. with asuitable spraypipe 335 by which water is sprayed into the trough to washthe laundering materia verse movement of the box during advancingintroducing predetermined on which slides abox 222 having an open topand bottom, the platform. 220 serving as the bot tom of the box. Theplatform is provided with a pair of side rails 224 between which the box222 fits so that the box is guided thereby when it is moved along theplatform 220. The upper surface of the platform 221i is preferablygrooved as indicated in Figure 2, these grooves extending in a directionof motion of the box and forming, a series of sharp parallel ridges 226on which the box 222 rides. This prevents the formation of a packed filmof soap on the surface of the plat form- 220.. Although soap may pack.in the grooves, the sharp ridges 226 remain clear. Since w it has beenfound by experience that comminuted soap is liable to cake when heapedin a box,

of. an inch in width. For convenience in cleaning, the partition members230 may be removably held in vertical slots 232 formed in the insidewalls of the box 222. These partition members efiectively prevent cakingof powdered or granulated soap within the box. As indicated in Figure 3,the partition members 230 extend from points near the bottom of the boxto about twothirds of theway to the top of the box. Auxiliarypartitionmembers 234 may be employed to separate the successive batches of soapto be introduced into the washing machine, each batch filling a numberof individual compartments.

In the platform 22!! a transverse aperture 235 is provided, thisaperture having a width some- 5 what greaterthan that of a narrowcompartment the aperture 236. To this end, the box 222 may be providedwith a series of tapering ratchet teeth 240 on one of its side walls(Figures 3 and 5), these teeth being engageableby a reciproeating pawl242 and a detent 244 to prevent removement of the pawl 242. .The pawlrests on the teeth 240 by its own weight. The detent 244 is pressedupward against the'teeth by a counterweight 245. As shown in Figure 3,the pawl may be connected to a rocking lever 246 which swings about thepivot 68. The lever 246 carries a cam roller 248 which rides, on theedge of a earn 250- mounted on the constantly rotating shaft 24. Asindicated in Figure 3, the shaft 250 is shaped so as to rock the arm 246twice for each rotation 55 or the shaft 24, but it is obvious that thecam may be shaped to rock the lever any number of times for eachrevolution of the shaft. The

' roller 248 is held against the cam 250 by any convenient means such asa spring 252. Each time the shaft 24 makes half a revolution, the pawl242 advances to the next tooth 240 and drags the box 222 along theplatform 2201 during the retracting movement of the pawl. Thus thecompartments "233', are successively moved over the opening 236 so thattheir contents may fa through the opening.

Since two or more batches of soap are usuall required for a completewashing cycle, .it is desirable to supply all of the batches in thesingle box 222. The individual batches may be segregated by theauxiliary partition members 234 as shown in Figure 3. In order to stopthe advancing movement of the box when the compart ment 233 whichimmediately precedes one of the partition members 234 is moved over theaperture 236, a set" screw 254 is inserted into a tooth E40 suitablyrelated to the partition element 234. When the pawl 242' engages thistooth 240, a lug 25% engagesthe setscrew 254, so that, after thefollowing retractive movement of the pawl which pulls the box along .toa position in which the partition element 234 is at the edge of theopening 236, the pawl is held in retracted positionb-y the lug 256 andthe cam 250 thereupon revolves idly without moving thepawl. The pawl isthus held in an inoperative position until the time comes for theintroduction of the next batch of soap into the washing machine. Inorder to accomplish this, the pawl 242 is lifted so as to move the lug256 clear of the setscrew 254, thus permitting advancing movement of thepawl'to engage the next successive tooth 240. Thereupon the cam 25!!becomes effective to reciprocate the pawl 242 until the lug 256 engagesthe next set screw 254.

- Mechanism for releasing the pawl is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 andconsists of a cam member 250 mounted on the shaft 44. This cam has aseries of high points 262 which successively engage a pin 266 mounted ona rocking arm 268.

'When the pin 2B6 rides upon one of the high points of the cam 250, asillustrated in Figure 4,

thepin' engages'the under edge of the pawl 242 and raises the pawl sothat the lug256 clears tlie sets-crew 254. The shaft 44 is soon advancedanother step so as to lower the pin 266, permitting the lug 256 toengage the next setscrew 254 when it is reached as the box 222 is movedalong the platform 220. I m

' In using the herein described apparatus, the operator locates the box222 in the position indicated in Figure 3 and fills it with a measuredquantity of comminuted soap. The box is then rocated untilthe lug 256encounters the next setscrew 254. The feeding movement of the box 222then stops until the lug 256 is again displaced by; further rotation ofthe shaft 44. Suitable driving means for the shafts 24'and 44 areprovided, as described and shown in my said application, the shaft 24being constantly rotated while the shaft 44 is advanced at intervalsstepby-step.

It is evident that various modifications and changes may be made in theembodiment of the invention herein shown and described without departingfrom the spirit or scope thereof as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine or the like, means for dispensing predeterminedquantities of comminuted soap, said means comprising. a platformhaving-an aperture therethrough and parallel minutedsoap, said meanscomprising an elongated platform having a transverse slot therethroughand side rails along its side edges, a box with open top and bottomfitted between said side rails to slide on said platform, a series ofequally spaced upright transverse partition elements extending from thebottom of the box part way up toward the top to define a series of nar-"row transverse compartments in the lower portion of said box,extensions on selected partition elements dividing the upper portion ofthe box into large compartments, and means for imparting step-by-stepmovement to said box to bring said narrow compartments successively oversaid slot.

3. In a washing machine or the like, means for dispensing predeterminedquantities of comminuted soap, said means comprising a platform havingan aperture therethrough, a box having an open top and bottom slidablysupported on said platform, a series of partitions in said box dividingthe interior thereof into narrow compartments of substantially uniformwidth, means for guiding the movement of said box on said platform tobring said compartments successively over said aperture, ratchet teethon said box, a reciprocable pawl engaging said teeth, and

means for reciprocating said pawl through strokes equal to the width ofone said compartment.

4. In a washing machine or the like, means for dispensing comminutedsoap, said means com- I prising a platform having an aperturetherethrough, a box with open top and bottom-slidably supported on saidplatform, partition elements in said box dividing the interior intonarrow compartments of substantially equal width, and driving means forimparting stepby-step movement to said box to bring said compartmentssuccessively over said aperture, said driving means including a seriesof ratchet teeth on said box spaced apartthe width of a compartment, areciprocable pawl adapted to engage said teeth in succession, springpressing means pressing said pawl forward, cam means for retracting saidpawl after. each advance, and stop elements on said box engageable bysaid pawl to hold the pawl in retracted position.

LUCIEN PIERCE.

